Physicist Sally Ride became the first American woman in space on this date in 1983, when the space shuttle Challenger launched on its second mission. After seeing a Stanford Daily article about how NASA contacted Stanford to help it recruit female astronauts for its space shuttle program, Ride sent a letter to the agency requesting an application. Ride rocketed into space on the Challenger’s six-day STS-7 mission in 1983, and again on an eight-day mission—STS-41G—in 1984. (If you’re interested, a recent New York Times story details what can happen to astronauts’ bodies and minds after just a few days up there.) Her third mission was cancelled after the Challenger exploded in 1986. She was assigned to the Rogers Commission, which was charged with investigating the disaster. According to NASA, “she holds the distinction of being the only person to serve as a member of both investigation boards following NASA’s two space shuttle accidents.” Ride died of pancreatic cancer in 2012 at age 61.
NCPA
